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Mars Exploration Rover Essay

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Mars Exploration Rover and Kepler Space Telescope May Prove Existence of Extraterrestrial Life
On September 28, NASA’s mars exploration rover, Opportunity, made a ground-breaking discovery, finding evidence of water on Mars. The rover found small spheres of the minerals hematite and jarosite. On earth, hematite generally forms from water, and jarosite in the presence of water. Opportunity also captured images of layers on rocks, generally formed by water erosion.
Evidence of water on the Red Planet had been previously discovered by a former University of Arizona student Lujendra Ojha in 2010. When examining high resolution images of the Mars sent the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, steaks could be seen on the surface of the planet. The streaks, called Recurring Slope Lineae, were more prominent during summer months on mars, then faded during the winter season. During examination of the images sent from the orbiter, they found evidence of hydrated salts, which contain water molecules within them.
Water is a vital part of the existence of life, so with the discovery or water on Mars, scientists are optimistic that there is a possibility of life on the planet. Alfred McEwen, a …show more content…
On July 23, 2015, it was announced that a planet very similar to earth was found by the Kepler Space Telescope. Named Kepler-452b, it is located in the Kepler-452 system about 1400 light-years away. Although space probes cannot be sent out that far, scientists have determined that the planet should have a solid composition similar to the earth. As well, measurement data has shown that the planet is located in a “habitable zone”; a known distance in which planet must be away from the star it orbits for the planet to be able to sustain life. The star that Kepler-452b revolves around is a G2 type star just like the sun and though it is slightly brighter than the sun, the planet is further away which means the conditions may be sustainable for

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